Towel-rack



(No Model.)

T. M. DILS. TOWEL RACK.

Patented Jul crlmvamffo'c Thoma/sz'ls .barili N4 PETERS. PhclbLiihographer. Wnhingmn, DfC.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS MOORE DILS, OF DAVENPORT, IOVA.

TOWEL-RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentiNo. 406,998, dated July 16, 1889.

Application filed December 26, 1888. Serial No. 294,604. (No model.)

T 0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAs MOORE DILs, a citizen of The United States, residing at Davenport, in the county of Scott and State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Towel-Racks, of which the following is a speciiieation.

The invention relates to improvements in towel-racks; and it consists in a certain novel construction and combination of devices, fully described hereinafter in connection with the accompanying drawings, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In`the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a towel-rack embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the tubular casing. Fig. 3 is a detail View of one of the clamps for the towel. Figxe is a similar view of the snap-hook which connects the bow to the end of the suspending-cord. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the stop.

Referring by letter to the drawings, A designates a tubular casing,which is closed at its lower end and provided with an eye a, and B designates a removable guard fitting on the up per end of the casing and provided with cheeks b b, between which is journaled the grooved roller C, the inner side of lthe said roller being over the center of the casing. This guard is provided at its upper end with a vertical ear I), having an aperture (Z.

E represents the suspending-cord which passes over the groovcd roller, is provided at its inner end with a counterbalancing-weight F, which operates in the casing, and is provided at its outer end with a snap-hook G. This hook consists of a single piece of wire, is provided on the upper end of its shank g with a loop g', to which the cord is attached, and is provided on the extremity of its hooked portion with an eye g2.

H represents a spring-wire bow provided at its center with a vertical integral loop ,which engages the snap-hook, and provided at its ends with eyes h h, in which are engaged the towel-clamps K K. These towel-clamps each consist of the arms k 7c, connected at their upper ends by the spring-coil k', and provided at their free ends with oppositelyextending and outwardly-openin g hooks 7a2 7.32, arranged in a plane at right angles to the plane of the arms 7a and held closely pressed together by the spring-force of the coil. These arms are each provided with two angular bends 7a3 and k1, and the arms cross each other between thc said bends. Therefore when the hooks at the lower ends of the arms are laterally separated, as shown at in Fig. l, to engage the hooks with the towel, (which is shown at I in Fig. 1,) the coil 7c is uncoiled slightly. Fu rthcr, the arms are norm ally held substantially in the same plane, and therefore hold the hooks on their lower ends in line, and by the arrangement of the said arms with relation to the coil the arm which is connected to the inner end of springcoil passes on the outer side of the arm which is connected to the outer end of the coil, whereby when the hooks are separated longitudinallyi. e,

moved in the planes they normally occupyA the arms 7l; 7a will be pressed together at their point of crossing, and must therefore spring to permit such separation.

The casing is adapted to be-arranged vertically against a wall or other vertical obj ect, its upper and lower ends being secured irmly thereto by the screws L and L,which respectively pass through the eye a and the apertured ear D.

From the above description, taken in connection with the drawings, it will be readily understood that the clamps at the opposite ends of the bow are engaged with suitable points of the towel, thereby holding the latter in a spread or distended condition, whereby it may be readily used and may dry when not in use. When not in use, the towel is held in its raised position, as shown in Fig. l, by the counterbalancingweight, and when desired for use the towel may be drawn down as far as necessary. Then the cord becomes worn, the guard may be removed from the upper end of the casing and a new cord applied.

If desired, the bow may be removed from the snap-hook and one of the towel-clamps K engaged therewith, and then one corner of the towelv may be attached to the clamp in the manner described.

In order to prevent the towel from heilig raised too hi gh,I attach a stop M to the cord, which strikes against the Outer edges of the cheeks h l). This stop consists of a wire bent IOO to form a series of three rings m m m, through all of which the cord is passed, thereby forming two sharp bends m m in the cord. This stop may be slipped along the cord, and thereby adjusted at any desired point of its length, by slackening the cord and working it through the rings; but it Will be evident that While the device is in use the stop cannot slip.

Having thus described the invention, I claim-- l. In a towel-rack, the combination of the tubular casing provided at its lower end with an eye d, the removable guard B at its upper end having an apertured ear D to receive screws to secure the casing to a support, and the pulley C, journaled transversely in. said guard, with the cord passing over the pulley at the upper end of the casing, provided at one end with a clamp to engage the towel and at the other end With a counterbalancingweight operating in the casing, substantially as specified.

2. In a towel-rack, the combination,with the tubular casin g A, the guard B at its upper end having the parallel cheeks Z) 12,01? the rollers c, journaled transversely in said guard, the cord passing over the said roller, provided at its outer end with a clamp to engage the towel and at its inner end with a counterbalancingweight, and the wire'stop M, comprising a series of rings m m, through Which the oord passes, the said stop being adapted to strike against the cheeks b b to limit the movement of the cord, substantially as specified.

3. In a towel-rack, the combination,with the supporting-cord, of the clamp connected to the free end of the oord and consisting of the arms 7c k, connect-ed at their upper ends by the spring-coil k and having the angular bends k3 and 7a4, the said arms intersecting each other between the said bends, and the oppositelyextending hooks k2 7a2 on the lower endsof said arms, arranged in a plane at right angles to the plane of the arms and normally in contact, as specified. Q

4. In a towel-rack, the combination,with the cord passing over a roller and provided with a counterbalaneing-weight, of the bow connected to the free end of the said cord and clamps at its ends adapted to engage the towel and hold the latter in a spread condition, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS MOORE DILS.

Vitn esses:

H. MCPIKE, M. BUNKER. 

